Circulator-disintegrator



July 6, 1954 D. E. JONES 2,682,810

. CIRCULATOR-DISINTEGRATOR Filed May 20, 1952 Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,682,810 I OIRCULA'BOR-DISINTEGRATOR Dwight E. Jones, Pittsfield, Mass., assignor to E. D. Jones & Sons Company, Pittsfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, 1952, Serial No. 288,874

12 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a disintegrator or a defibrator, and is directed more particularly to the provision of a combination high-low speed disc'type pulping unit for the pulping and defibering in water of dry pulp, or dry pulp in sheets or bundles, paper waste and the'like for paper making purposes.

It has been my observation that in the pulping of almost any kind of stock, a vigorous circulation is required in the vat or container to repeatedly return the pulp to the rotating element. Many of the present machines use a disc, either vertical or horizontally mounted as the rotating element. Others use propellers, or a special shaped rotor mounted on a shaft. The rotating element for all of these machines serves two basic purposes. The first is to circulate the water and pulp; hence, it acts as a pump. The second purpose is to disintegrate the pulp. Each time the pulp is returned to the rotor it is vigorously hit and large pieces are reduced. When the action is continued long enough, the pulp is broken into very minute pieces, or finely separated to individual fibers. For most applications complete separation is desirable.

That is to say, the required amount of turbulence is created by establishing the necessary velocity difierentialbetween the stock which is discharged from the impeller and the surrounding stock with no more of a discharge volume than is absolutely necessary. This discharge volume is kept desirably low so as to reduce the amount of power required for pumping purposes.

An impeller of small diameter having low vanes and a high rate of speed might product the desired pulping action but with such a means, there is no assurance that all of the'stock in the tank will be circulated, an action which is most desired to keep the entire body of stock circulating lest portions thereof will not be treated. In other words, as is well known, all of the stock must be a part of a continuous flow pattern whereby every portion of-the stock is caused to pass repeatedly through the zone of action.

It has also been my observation, that a rotating disc or impeller having large vanes inclined away from the direction of rotation, moving at modest speeds, will pump large volumes of stock for a small amount of power.

I have determined that for purposes of utilizing only minimum requirements in power, the peripheral velocity of this impeller should not exceed approximately 2000 feet per minute. Preferably, in order to conserve power even further, the peripheral velocity should be held somewhere in the range of 1200 to 1500 feet per minute.

At this comparatively slow speed, the progress of pulping is very slow after the initial stages. The pulp is broken into flakes but an exceedingly long time to separate or defiber the pulp further is required.

In the development of my invention, 1 have further determined that the defibering operation can be accomplished most economically by means of a revolving disc which operates at a relatively high speed, i. e. in excess of approximately 2000 feet per minute and up to a possible maximum of 12,000 feet per minute. At such high speeds, it has been my observation that the vanes on the discs must be made relatively low, otherwise they will consume an excessive amount of power. However, because the vanes are of necessity made low, the quantity of pulp discharged is insufiicient to maintain the desired circulation.

Working from these general principles, I have devised a pulper which combines the desirable characteristics indicated above as desiderata specifically, a large diameter, slow moving disc adapted to provide the circulating action and a small diameter, fast moving disc adapted to provide the defibering action.

As will be observed, these discs are concentric with each other, one being nested within the other, and by such a combination, the normal circulation achieved is a vortical type turbulence which repeatedly brings the pulp back to the discs from whence it is discharged outwardly again.

That is to say, by means of the large diameter, slow speed disc, the pulp is thrown out in all directions by means of the vanes, in a vortical action whereby the desired circulation effect is achieved. Simultaneous therewith, a small diameter high speed disc recessed within and concentric with the large diameter disc accomplishes the disintegrating action. The high speed disc is provided with relatively low vanes as it is not desired to throw the stock therewith. Rather it is desired merely to clip the fiber bundles therewith so as'to achieve the desired disintegration eflect.

A zone of turbulence is established directly in front of the concentric discs in which the undefibered stock is separated, swirled and generally subjected to a violent fraying action.

The speeds of the discs determines the efii ciency and the effectiveness of the disintegrating action, which speeds are reflected back into the violence of the turbulence.

Where it is desired to reduce large pieces of stock to small pieces, i. e. where ultimate defibering is not a primary consideration, the turbulence obviously need not be as extreme as where com- 62 plete, or at least further reduction of the stock is desired. In other words, the completeness of the defibering is directly proportional to the I is to provide structural and operational improve ments in devices of the class to which reference has been made, which improvements not only simplify the structure as such, but also provide important, distinct advantages in strength, durability and the like.

With the above primary objects in View, it is another object of my invention to provide a construction of the above described character in which the number of operating parts is reduced and which is compact in accordance with the demands of operators and which is not only distinctive in its appearance but also reliable in its operation, efiicient in its use, and practical in its value.

Other prime objects of m invention include: first, the securement of a higher degree of accuracy and greater degree of variety in the manner of work performed therewith than has heretofore been possible with prior devices knownin the art; second, the attainment of a flexibility or a capability of adjustment by which a large variety of work can be produced by means of the same device; third, the provision of an improved pulper construction which may be made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts, as well as in the assembly of the same, than prior devices known in the art; fourth, the provision of a construction which may be readily installed with respect to the various purposes for which it may be intended; and fifth, the provision of such other improvements in and relating to pulpers of the type above referred to as are hereinafter described and. claimed.

All of the above cited objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth. To these above and other ends and with the foregoing and various other and ancillary features and advantages and objects of my invention as will become more readil apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, in a mode of operation, and in the combination, organization and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 of Fig. 3.

In the above mentioned drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown but one embodiment of my invention which is deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made in various respects and within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the broad aspects and spirit of the invention.

Briefly, and in its broadest aspect, my invention comprises the following principal parts: A beat- 4 ing and circulating tank, a large diameter, slow speed impeller, a small diameter, high speed impeller, and bafile members disposed within the tank for aiding the circulating and disintegrating actions.

In the following description and claims, various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. These names, however, are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a bearing and circulating tank 6 having a feed opening 8 for pulp bales, waste papers, broke or the like.

The bottom wall of the tank is denoted at II] and it converges downwardly from the opposite side walls l2 and i2 and from the opposite end walls M and. I4 toward the center of the tank where it merges with an elongated horizontally disposed portion I'B having an outlet I8 which is centrally disposed therewithin and which communicates with a, discharge pipe 20.

The converging or sloping portions of the bottom wall are sufficiently sloped to cause heavy trash, such as pieces of metal, glass, stone, sand and the like to roll or slide downwardly toward the centrally located outlet [8 and pipe 20 associated therewith.

The end walls [4 and M of the tank are substantially semicircular in their configuration whereby a generally oval-like tank is provided as shown in Fig. 1.

Extending upwardly and inwardly from the upper edges of the side walls [2 and I2 and of the end walls I and 14 an overhanging lip 22 is provided so as to offer a baffle means whereby the circulating stock is deflected downwardly from the top of the tank and further so as to provide a centrally disposed opening 8 above referred to. The tank is mounted on suitable supports such as 24.

A rotatable small diameter impeller 30 is mounted in the tank 6 adjacent one side wall 12 thereof, and is recessed within the forward face of a rotatable large diameter impeller 40. The impeller 30 is carried by a shaft 32 which extends through and is rotatable relative to a shaft 42 which carries the impeller 40.

The plane of the impellers 30 and 40 are vertically disposed within the tank and are concentric with each other along a common horizontal axis, the drive shaft 32 being suitably arranged for rotation within the shaft 42.

The shaft 42 extends through one side wall l2 and an annular member 44 associated therewith and is journalled for rotation in bearings 46 and 46'.

The drive shaft 32 is driven in any suitable manner as by a motor 34 and the drive shaft 42 is driven in any suitable manner as by a motor 48 connected thereto by means of V belts 5G and pulleys 49 and 5|.

As will be observed shortly, the shafts are driven at different and varying rates of speed, the larger drive shafts 42 carrying the large diameter impeller 40 being operable at a rate of speed generally less than the rate of speed of the smaller drive shaft 32 carrying the small diameter impeller 30.

The small diameter impeller 30 is preferably disposed in a recess provided centrally of the large diameter impeller 40 on the outer face sired.

The small diameter impeller, 30 is provided with a plurality of radial vanes or bars 52 which are also shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that this is another non-limitative embodiment, it being possible to arrange these vanes at an angle if desired.

Working from this fundamental construction, I provide a means which combines the desirable features of two impellers or rotors, each of which is designed to perform its own part of the work load with a maximum degree of efficiency. The large diameter, slow moving disc provides the circulation and the small diameter, fast moving disc concentric therewith provides the disintegration, it being understood that the rotative speeds of the two discs are independent of each other and that each may be increased or decreased as may be desired.

The inner side of the wall I2 adjacent the impellers 3B and 40 is scrolled and raised to deflect the stock more or less in a horizontal direction.

This is accomplished by means of a pair of bafile members and 10 which are secured to the wall member [2 as by Welding or the like. As shown in Fig. 3, these members 70 are positioned relative to the impellers so as to deflect the stock as it is circulated into a more or less horizontal direction as the impellers aire rotatedin the direction of the arrows in Fig 3. That is, one of the members ill is positioned above the horizontal axis of the impellers and the other of the members 10 is positioned below the horizontal axis whereby the maximum deflecting action is obtained.

Each member 10 is of such design that it extends inwardly into the tank for the greatest distance at the points of adjacency beside the impeller and decreases in thickness toward a point furthest away from the impeller where the bailie merges smoothly into the wall member l2. 1

At the side wall l2 opposite from the impellers, portions 80 of the inside thereof curve towards one another and inwardly to a point of termination 82 inwardly from the plane of the side wall forming more or less continuations of the curved end walls I4 and I4 whereby material is directed from opposite sides of the impellers outwardly towards the end walls and around the end walls back toward the opposite side wall. The construction of the tank is such that the paths of flow in the opposite halves of the tank are prevented from meeting head-on as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the tank may be of a configuration other than herein disclosed whereby the same vortical type action is promoted with a minimum of resistance. For example, the tank could be semi-circular in shape so as to offer a rounded bottom or the opening 18 and outlet 20 could be disposed on a side of the tank instead of being centrally thereof in which case the bottom wall It! would be sloped toward the opening I8 in the same manner.

By the arrangement described above a zone of tubulence directly in front of the impellers is established, the stock being continually and repeatedly circulated back to the impellers from a direction directly in front of and at right angles to the faces of the impellers.

In this zone of turbulence, the undefibered stock is separated, swirled, torn, whipped and otherwise subjected to a violent fraying action. The violence of this turbulence determines the efficiency of the pulping action.

The large diameter impeller is made large relative to the diameter of the tub in order to insure a maximum circulation and further in order to obtain a vortical submergence of all floating material to a position where same may be subjected to the more violent cutting action of the inner disc.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pulp disintegrator comprising, a pulp container, a rotary circulating impeller mounted in said container at one side thereof, and a rotary disintegrating impeller independently rotatable and coaxially recessed within said circulating impeller.

2. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said impellers operate at different and varying rates of speed.

3. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said circulating impeller is provided With large vanes.

4. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said disintegrating impeller is provided with small cuttings bars.

5. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said circulating impeller is of a larger diameter than the diameter of said disintegrating impeller.

6. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized inthat said disintegrating impeller is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of said circulating impeller.

'7. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said circulating impeller is a low speed disc.

8. A pulp disintegrator according to claim 1 characterized in that said disintegrating impeller is a high speed disc.

9. A pulper comprisin in combination, a pulp tank, a rotary circulating impeller mounted in a side wall of said tank and having circulating vanes, a disintegrating impeller rotatable independently of the circulating impeller recessed coaxially within said circulating impeller and hav--.

ing beating vanes.

10. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination, a tank, a circulating impeller located in said tank and adapted to rotate in a vertical plane, a disintegratin impeller rotatable in a vertical plane independently of the circulating impeller, means forming part of said circulating impeller adapted upon rotation thereof to discharge materialhorizontally and outwardly to the sides of said tank.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 characterized in that said disintegrating impeller is recessed coaxially within said circulating impeller for defibrating the material.

12. A tank having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis formed by a bottom wall and side walls and end walls extending vertically upwardly therefrom, the end walls bein substantially semicircular, vertically disposed separate and adjacent impellers inside of and adjacent one of the said side walls and being independently rotatable on a common horizontal axis, portions of the other side wall opposite said impellers curving towards one another and inwardly of the plane 8 of said other side wall forming continuations of the end walls, all adapted and arranged whereby material is directed from opposite sides of said impellers outwardly around the end walls and inwardly towards said impellers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 232,460 Cooke et a1 Sept. 21, 1880 537,260 Zimmerman et al. Apr. 9, 1895 1,712,598 Werner May 14, 1929 1,767,791 Gough et a1 June 24, 1930 2,596,586 Morden May 13, 1952 

